Fantasy at its best.
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Bridget Lederle takes care of the lighthouse on an island in one of the Great Lakes. She leads a lonlely life being an outcast from the local community after having had an illegitimate baby who died soon after birth. One night she saves a mysterious stranger from a storm. The stranger claims he is a sorcerer from a place 'beyond the land of death' and he wants to take Bridget back with him. With nothing to keep her on Sand island and with a compulsion she cannot understand, Bridget follows Kalami back to his home of Isvalta where her the story really begins and she finds out more about her past than she could ever have dreamed of.
Sarah Zettle, known for her science fiction writing, has proved, with this first book in the Isvaltan trilogy, that she is as capable of producing outstanding fantasy as she is sci-fi. This is fantasy at its best and manages to be that rare beast, an original story in a genre where there are so many tales that are just a variation on a theme.
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Extremely successful culture-clash fantasy
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I confess I wasn't overly enthused when this book reached the top of my to-read pile; in my experience, fantasy authors promoted as Exciting New Voices all too frequently turn out to be More Of The Same. By _A Sorceror's Treason_, however, I was more than pleasantly surprised - I was completely hooked. On the surface, the tale is a simple one, in genre terms: a lonely woman meets a mysterious man from another world, who takes her home and enlists her in a battle against his evil political opponents. Yet Zettel's novel - in both its striking plot twists and its overall structure - swiftly distances itself from cliche. Bridget Lederle is a memorable character in a vividly-drawn world even before she enters Zettel's fantasy realm. While most novels of this type treat the protagonist's home world as little more than a prelude, a painted backdrop to the real story, here Bridget's earlier life is given welcome emphasis. The close-knit nineteenth-century fishing community in which Bridget lives and works as a lighthouse keeper is portrayed with intriguing detail, its supporting characters fully-rounded individuals. Bridget herself is conflicted, complex and intelligent, resilient but worn out with old emotional pain; as much of an outsider in the world where she grew up as she will be in the one she travels to. Zettel's fantasy world, meanwhile, does not pale beside its historical counterpart. Isavalta is a fine blend of cultural elements that seasoned fantasy readers will find less familiar, incorporating elements of eastern European, Middle Eastern and Asian folktales and history. Most notable are the fabulous fox spirits, and there is a real sense of old powers with unfathomable schemes at work. Bridget functions excellently as our window on this fascinating world, but alongsider her Zettel makes good use of different point-of-view characters for different perspectives, tension-building and plot twists. The plot moves along at an absorbing pace, the characters provide much of the drama, and the reality of Bridget's situation - as it gradually emerges - is a pleasantly twisty one. If you're tired of genre books where you can spot both good guys and outcome within two pages, you'll enjoy this very much.
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A Sorcerer's Treason - The First of a fantastic Trilogy
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A book that was impossible to put down from start to finish. A mix of magic, sorcery, love and adventure set in numerous worlds. A down to earth heroine who you can not but like. The book leaves you eagerly waiting for the sequal. A fantastic read which i would recomend to anyone who likes a heroine, magic and a gripping storyline.
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Brilliant, enchanting and different.
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This book follows the story of Bridget Lederle, lighthouse keeper on Sand island; or is she. Tormented by the crowds, as a murderer, Bridget knows nothing about her past. Until one stormy night she rescues a man from drowning in lake Superiors ice waters - Valin Kalami - he is there to tell her the truth about her past. Or is he? Leading her through the land of death and spirits, Valin takes her to Isvalta to find her truth and many things, possibly not all quite as simple as they first seem.
This is a brilliant book that enraptures and compels you to read onwards, the first in the trilogy I'm sure the others are also brilliant reads.
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A rollicking story and a pleasant surprise!
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You know, it just goes to prove that you should NEVER judge a book by its cover. Sadly, I did this at first, yet after starting reading it, I couldn't put it down. It is well written, cleverly thought out and planned, and the way she takes you from character viewpoint to viewpoint makes it seem like a movie is being shown for your pleasure. Her sorcerors are real, the magic they use very plausable and her description of the "powers" a bit worrying as they could easily slip through the mists she had created for them and appear next to you. All in all, a very good book written intelligently and with great gusto. I look forward to the other two instalments.
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